Red Sox vs. Yankees

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! I was going to write about my trip to Canada last night, which I think is so weird. I mean, I went to Canada for just a few hours. But anyway, I thought I’d save that for tomorrow. There is something much more pressing to worry about…RED SOX vs. YANKEES!!! I think it’s pretty fair to say that Yankees will clinch the Eastern Division, but here’s hoping for a wild card win for the Red Sox! The upcoming 3 game series has a lot riding on it for the Sox!

I wasn’t always a Red Sox fan. In fact, I was born and raised a Yankees fan. How did this happen you ask? How can someone be a fan of one team, then switch to their rival? The answer is one word: HEART. I fell for a team with heart. When I first moved up to Boston, over 10 years ago, I came in a Yankees fan, determined that would never change. I was often one of the only Yankees fans in a roomful of Red Sox fans, cheering to myself, getting evil looks from everyone. When I first started college, the Yankees dominated completely, and I loved it. After I graduated, I continued to be a hardcore Yankees fan, and was convinced this would never change.

In 2004, during the Red Sox vs. Yankees series, the Yankees were up 3 games to none, and it looked like they would sweep the Sox in the 4th game. I went to bed early that night, figuring I didn’t have to watch the game, since the Yankees were going to win. I woke up the next morning to a shock, the Sox had won?!? The next few days were a little strange, but I remember going out the night of the last game of the World Series to a bar, as the token Yankees fan, and being so excited that the Red Sox won! The moon was red that night, it was insane! We partied in the streets of Boston and just had a blast all night. A few days later, I went to the World Series parade and cheered, but still called myself a Yankees fan.

Fast forward to 2007. There was something in the air, and I don’t know what happened, but suddenly I was rooting for the Red Sox. I had a hat. I knew all the players names. What the heck was happening to me? The Sox won that year, and I don’t remember what I did or did not do, but I remember being excited.

After that win, I slowly became more excited about the Red Sox and eventually admitted to myself I might be a fan. I went to a lot of games, I saw some trophies:

I met some Olympians:

I went to a playoff game:

IN TAMPA. Who am I? I’ve lost my sense of self!

I bought another hat. We sat in a row of Boston fans, and had a blast! The Sox lost that series, but I was hooked. The next year, I went from just wearing a hat to this:

And this:

Yes, it broke my dad and my brother’s hearts. They got over it.

No, I did not end up on ESPN. Bummer.

I did drink a lot of beer, and had a blast at Fenway. Solomon is convinced there are pictures of me holding up that sign all over facebook that I just don’t know about!

That, my friends, is how I converted from a Yankees fan to RED SOX NATION. I’m so excited for the series this weekend! Even though we now live in PA, it’s still a reason to celebrate the Sox, and we are having some friends over for the game tonight. SO EXCITED!!

What are your plans tonight? Who are you rooting for in this game? Who are you rooting for in baseball generally?

I grew up in Washington, so I had to root for the Mariners (especially because there’s no other team ANYWHERE nearby-nothing in Oregon or Idaho…)
i’m marrying a soccer and football (and college basketball) fan. I’m kinda glad he’s not into baseball too-we watch enough sports as is! We live far from any major league baseball these days so I had no idea who was playing tonight 🙂